Manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes



Oct. 4, 1955 D. w. MOLINS MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1954 H raRNEY Oct. 4, 1955 D. w. MOLINS 2,719,525

MANUFACTURE OF MOUTHPIECE. CIGARETTES Filed Jan. 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y ii I 10/? w J 105 106; 'l .N A H A F7 0- 0 J? 10/ f jf/ H /3 1 5 I 1 MVf/VTOR 49W w 727 ALL.

Wm, M, M 1

W nrraa/vE/s United States Patent O MANUFACTURE or MOUTHPIECE CIGARETTES Desmond Walter Molins, Deptford, London, England,

assignor to Molins Machine Company, Limited, Deptford, London, England, a British company Application January 29, 1954, Serial No. 407,041

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 19, 1953 4 Claims. Cl. 13161) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes.

By the expression mouthpiece cigarette is meant a cigarette in which a tobacco portion and a mouthpiece portion are arranged end to end within a common wrapper. A mouthpiece portion may consist of a piece of filtering material, or a hollow tube, or any other suitable piece of material which is different from the tobacco contained in the remainder of the cigarette or any combination of the foregoing. For convenience any such mouthpiece portions will hereinafter be referred to as stubs.

One way of making mouthpiece cigarettes consists in feeding a continuous unwrapped stream of tobacco lengthwise and cutting it at intervals into separate lengths, spacing the cut lengths apart lengthwise so as to provide spaces into which stubs are inserted, and enclosing the resulting continuous composite filler in a paper web to form a continuous composite rod, which is then cut at appropriate intervals to form individual cigarettes. One example of a method of and apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes on this principle is disclosed in my copending United States patent application Serial Number 226,187, filed May 14, 1951. In that construction the spaces are formed by acceleration of the cut lengths by pressing them on to a paper web which moves faster than the tobacco stream from which the lengths are cut.

The cut lengths can be treated in this way because in that construction, the tobacco stream, before cutting, is subjected to lateral compression which gives it sufiicient rigidity to enable it to pass through a guide tube before being cut. The compression given is suflicient to consolidate the stream to an extent such that the cut lengths can be accelerated in the manner described in the specification referred to, without undue breaking down or disintegration of the ends of the cut lengths.

Somewhat heavy lateral compression such as that imparted to the tobacco stream in the construction according to the specification referred to, while necessary to enable the cut lengths to be accelerated in the manner described in that specification, has the disadvantage that it tends to break the tobacco shreds themselves. Further, it will be appreciated that the more the tobacco filler is compressed laterally, the more tobacco will be required to produce a tobacco filler which will completely occupy the volume of a cigarette of given diameter. If therefore the lateral compression is increased, then in order to obtain the same feel between the tobacco and the outer wrapper, correspondingly more tobacco is needed to fill the wrapper.

According to the present invention there is provided in the manufacture of mouthpiece cigarettes, an apparatus for forming a continuous composite filler comprising tobacco portions and stubs in alternation,.cornprising means for forming a tobacco stream, passing the said stream through an enclosed passage from whoseoutlet it passes onto a conveyor (e. g. a paper web), cutting the stream at intervals as it issues from the outlet, blocking the said outlet (e. g. by the blade of a knife which cuts the stream) 2,719,525 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 after each cutting operation so as to hold up the uncut stream for a predetermined period of time equal to the time taken for the cut length to move away from the outlet to form a space for a stub, and inserting stubs into the spaces so formed.

By this apparatus it will be seen that the spaces between successive portions of tobacco can be formed without the necessity of accelerating the cut lengths in the manner described in the specification referred to above, and that accordingly these spaces can be formed without the necessity of subjecting the tobacco to heavy lateral compression before cutting such as is necessary to enable the cut lengths to be handled and accelerated as mentioned above.

Further according to the present invention there is provided, in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, comprising an enclosed passage and means to feed lengthwise into and through said passage a continuous tobacco stream, a conveyor to receive the tobacco stream as it issues from the outlet of the passage, and arranged to move at substantially the same speed as that at which the tobacco leaves the passage, cutting means operable in the region of said outlet to sever the stream at intervals to cut a leading length therefrom, means operable after each cutting operation to block the outlet so as to hold up the stream while the cut length moves away from the outlet to form a space for a stub, and means to insert stubs into the spaces so formed. The said conveyor may comprise a paper web which is subsequently wrapped around the composite filler to form a continuous composite rod.

Preferably the passage comprises slippery interior surfaces such as to keep friction between the tobacco and the said interior surfaces low.

The said slippery interior surfaces may be arranged to confine the tobacco stream on all sides along part at least of the length of the passage. One at least of said slippery interior surfaces may be arranged to move in the direction of feed of the tobacco.

The word slippery when used herein and in the appended claims, in relation to an interior surface of the said passage, is to be understood as being intended to describe asurface on which tobacco slips or slides more easily, under a given set of conditions, than it does on the usual cigarette paper.

The means to block the outlet of the passage may consist of a knife blade which cuts the stream; for example the'knife may be arranged to move across the outlet to cut the .stream and thereafter to block the outlet for a desired time. For example the knife may be arranged to reciprocate across the outlet and to remain in a position to block the outlet for a desired time after each cut.

It will be understood that the outlet is blocked for only relatively brief periods such as to allow in each case a suitable space to be formed to receive a stub.

Further according to the present invention there is provided, in apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, comprising a slippery passageway, means to feed lengthwise into and through said passageway a continuous loose tobacco stream, a conveyor to receive tobacco issuing from the outlet of said passageway, and arranged to move at substantially the same speed as that at which the stream leaves the passageway, cutting means operable in the region of said outlet to sever the stream at intervals to cut a leading length therefrom, means operable after each cutting operation to block the outlet so as to hold up the stream while the cut length moves away from the outlet to form a space for a stub, and means to insert stubs into the, spaces so formed, wherein the said passageway is at least as long as the said length to be cut from the stream, whereby tobacco within the passageway while the outlet is blocked has its speed reduced and is thereby caused to close up and condense endwise within the passageway.

The said conveyor may comprise a paper web which is subsequently wrapped around the composite filler to form a continuous composite rod.

The means to block the outlet of the passageway may consist of the knife blade which cuts the stream; for example the knife may be of such a size and arranged to move across the outlet at such a speed as to block the outlet for a desired time while passing across the outlet.

The passageway may comprise a stationary surface to support the tobacco, stationary side walls, and a top wall comprising a movable tobacco-engaging surface adapted to move forwardly faster than the speed at which the tobacco enters the passageway. The movable surface may be the surface of an endless steel band.

Apparatus according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of one construction, partly in section;

Figure 2 is a detail of a part shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of another construction; and

Figure 4 is an end elevation of a part of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure l, the apparatus shown in that figure includes a passage for a tobacco stream which latter is formed by showering tobacco from a hopper (not shown) of a cigarette making machine on to a fiat endless canvas or cotton band or tape 1, which is of the type generally described as a tobacco tape. The tape 1, which is arranged to move in a trough in the direction shown by the arrow, carries the tobacco stream through the passage, of which the tape itself forms part of the bottom wall. The passage also comprises side walls 2, which extend along the whole of its length, and a top wall which consists of the lower run of an endless flexible steel band 3 which passes over rollers 4 and 5. The surface of this steel band which forms the inside of the top wall of the passage is slippery and highly polished, as are the inner surfaces of the side walls 2.

The band 3 is arranged to move so that its lower run moves in the same direction as the tape 1. The band 3 instead of being made of steel could be made of any other suitable material having a slippery tobacco-engaging surface. It may move at twice the speed of the band 1, or at any other speed found suitable; but it is preferable that the band 3 should move faster than the tobacco tape 1.

The tape 1 passes over a roller 6, and to the left of this roller, as viewed in Figure 1, the bottom, tobaccosupporting, wall of the passage consists of a steel plate 7, whose tobacco-engaging upper surface is slippery and highly polished.

Thus the passage as a whole, consisting of the tape 1, the .side walls 2, the band 3, and the plate 7, comprises slippery interior surfaces 2, 3 and 7 which confine the tobacco stream on all sides along part of the length of the passage, and one of these, namely the band 3, is arranged to move in the direction of feed of the tobacco. This slippery part of the passage in which all the tobacco-engaging surfaces are slippery is in the example shown, 150 mm. long. and constitutes a slippery passageway for the tobacco.

Beyond the roller there is fixed a steel guide 8 which is curved to fit close to the band 3 on the roller 5, and which has an edge 9 which scrapes the band 3 to remove tobacco from the band.

A rotatable knife 10 (see also Figure 2) is mounted for rotation so that its blade passes across the outlet of the passage formed by the end faces of the side Walls 2, the plate 7, and the guide 8. The knife blade is wide enough to block the passage outlet for a short time while it is passing across it.

Just beyond the knife 10 there is a tubular bridge piece 11 to receive the tobacco stream from the passage.

The apparatus shown in Figure l to the left of the bridge 11 is similar to corresponding apparatus described and shown in the complete specification and drawings of U. S. patent application Serial No. 226,187, referred to above, and will now be described briefly.

A paper Web 12 is supported on a conveyor belt 13 and moves in the direction of the arrow at the same speed, or approximately the same speed, as that of the tape 1.

A small arcuate roller 14 is arranged above the paper web near the bridge 11, and is arranged to rotate in the direction shown by the arrow so that its arcuate tobaccoengaging part 14a is clear of the tobacco during the greater part of a revolution of the roller but engages the tobacco at desired times to press it down on to the paper web to assist the tobacco to move with the paper Web.

A stub-wheel 15 is arranged above the paper web for rotation clockwise as viewed in Figure 1. This stub-Wheel, whose axis of rotation lies across the direction of movement'of the paper web 12, consists of a large disc 16 having a concave rim 17, which is perforated at three equally spaced positions 18. Retractable stub-pushing devices 19 are provided within the body of the disc, and these are provided with cam followers which cause the stub-pushers 19 to move in and out of the perforations in the rim of the disc as the latter rotates. For this purpose the cam followers 2% follow a fixed cam 21.

A suitable stub-feeding device comprising a fluted drum 22 is provided to feed stubs to the wheel at its upper part, and these stubs are carried around in turn by the pushers 19. The fluted drum and mechanism for feeding stubs into its flutes are constructed and operated in any suitable and convenient known way.

A shield 22a is arranged to prevent stubs from leaving the concave rim of the disc 16 until they reach a position at which they are to be fed on to the paper web.

A scraper shoe 23 is arranged to remove any tobacco which might tend to be taken up by the stub wheel.

The stub-wheel is arranged to move with a peripheral speed faster, for example 10% to 20% faster, than the speed of the paper web 12, for a purpose to be described shortly.

A timing device consisting of a rotary member 24 is provided above a tongue 25, which latter is slotted to allow fingers 24a and 24b to pass through the tongue as the member 24 rotates. The finger 24a is thin and blade-like. The rotary member 24 is arranged to rotate at a speed such that the fingers 24a and 24b pass through the tongue 25 with a forward speed in excess of the speed of the paper web 12, such that during the travel of these fingers through the tongue they move about 6 mm. further than does the paper web in the same period.

The operation of the apparatus described above is as follows:

The tobacco stream formed on the tobacco tape 1 is carried forwardly by the tape through the passage formed by the tape 1 itself, the plate 7 which together with the tape 1 forms a bottom wall of the passage, the side walls 2, and the band 3 which constitutes the greater part of the top wall and of which the guide 8 forms a continuation.

The stream passes from the outlet of the passage through the tubular bridge 11 on to the paper web 12.

When a suflicient length of the tobacco stream (e. g. 148 mm.) has passed on to the paper web, the rotating knife 10 cuts across the stream and the wide knife blade, passing across the outlet of the passage, blocks the outlet for a predetermined time and thus temporarily prevents further tobacco from leaving the passage. The period during which the passage is thus blocked is a period required for a space to develop between the knife and the rear end of the length which has just been severed from the tobacco stream, this space being of sufiicient length to accommodate a stub.

Due to the blocking or obturation of the passage outlet, tobacco which is at that time on the plate 7 has its speed reduced. Some at least of this tobacco tends to densify and close up endwise in its direction of movement, during this reduction of its speed. Owing to the slippery nature of the surfaces of the passageway which at this time confine it on all sides, the tobacco has considerable freedom of movement to enable it to close up endwise, and this closing up, it is thought, may result in a reduction of inequalities and irregularities in the density of the stream as formed on the tape 1.

This closing up of the tobacco is assisted by the fact that the tobacco stream is in a relatively loose condition and has not been subjected to heavy lateral compression.

After the knife blade has passed across the passage outlet the tobacco is again free to pass through the outlet at' its'normal speed, which may be the speed of the tape 1, and the endwise closing-up 'of the tobacco therefore ceases. The slippery passageway, i. e. that part of the passage in which the tobacco is wholly enclosed by slippery surfaces, is accordingly made at least as long as the length of tobacco which is required to be severed from the stream. In the present case, where the length of tobacco separated from the stream by the knife is 148 mm., this part of the passage (i. e. that part which includes the plate 7) is 150 mm. long. The reason for this is to enable, as far as possible, the whole of the endwise closing up of the tobacco which is to constitute a separated length, to take place within the slippery passageway, that is, that part of the passage in which it has the greatest freedom of movement, i. e. in which all the surfaces which engage and confine it are slippery.

The steel band 3, which assists in moving the stream through the passage, nevertheless is able to slip easily over the tobacco when the passage outlet is blocked, and thus exerts relatively little forward driving action on the tobacco at that time. The endwise compacting, closingup, and densification of the tobacco on the stationary plate 7 is therefore principally caused by the pressure exerted from behind by the oncoming tobacco carried forwardly. by the tape 1. This arrangement, by which the tobacco in the slippery passageway is relatively free from frictional drive, reduces the risk of jamming or choking when the passage outlet is blocked.

As a length of tobacco on the paper web 12 is cut from the stream, it is immediately thereafter engaged by the part 14a of the roller 14, and pressed down on to the paper.

The time interval between successive cuts is such that a space no greater than the length of a stub to be inserted is developed between successive tobacco lengths. A stub is inserted into each of these spaces by the stub-wheel 15, which as mentioned above rotates with a peripheral speed in excess of the speed of the paper web, and hence of the tobacco lengths thereon. The purpose of this is [0 enable a stub to be thrust into a space with a faster forward speed than that of the tobacco, so that its leading end presses against, and somewhat compresses, the rear face of the preceding tobacco length, and thus temporarily enlarges the space sufficiently to allow it to enter and fit between the two spaced tobacco lengths.

In this way a continuous composite filler consisting of tobacco lengths and stubs in alternation is formed on the paper web.

This composite filler passes under the usual tongue 25, and is acted upon by the timing member 24, whose leading finger 24a moves into the path of the tobacco and stubs a short distance (e. g. 6 mm.) behind a correctly positioned stub, and then moves forwardly faster than the stubs and tobacco so as to travel say 6 mm. further than the latter while it is in their path. Thus if a stub is correctly positioned lengthwise on the paper web, the

finger 24a will just touch it, whereas if the stub is lagging behind its correct position, the finger 24a will push it forward. The finger 24a is made thin and blade-like to enable it to pass more easily through tobacco immediately behind a stub. The finger 24b has the function of engaging tobacco behind a stub and advancing it slightly so as to assist in causing good abutment between tobacco and stub.

The composite filler is then enclosed in the paper web which is folded and secured about it in the manner customary in the manufacture of cigarettes. The composite rod soformed is cut at suitable intervals to form individual mouthpiece cigarettes. Each tobacco length and each stub in the composite filler and rod is of double the length required in a cigarette, and each tobacco length and each stub is accordingly divided into two.

In an alternative construction, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the tobacco tape 101 which receives tobacco from the hopper (not shown), and on which the showered tobacco forms astream, is curved to U form, and is arranged to move in the direction shown by the arrow to carry the tobacco stream into a passage formed by side guides 102, the periphery of a roller 103, a top plate 104, a channel-shaped bridge 105, and the tape 101 itself, which surfaces confine the tobacco on all sides. The tobacco-engaging surfaces of the plate 104 and bridge 105 are slippery and highly polished.

The bridge 105 extends a short distance over a paper web 106 carried on a conveyor band 107, and the paper web and the band 107 are therefore arranged at a lower level than that of the tape 101. The bridge 105 is shaped as shown at the outlet end of the passage so as to provide sloping edges against which a knife-blade 108 is pressed. The knife 108 is thin and flexible and is arranged to reciprocate as shown by the double arrow, Figure 3, so as to cause the edge of the knife to pass downwardly across the outlet of the passage to cut the stream of tobacco issuing from the passage, and after the completion of each downward cutting stroke to remain stationary for a brief period in order to block the outlet momentarily. The knife flexes as it moves down over the sloping edges of the bridge 105, as shown in Figure 3, and the cutting edge of the knife therefore has a component of forward movement imparted to it as it moves downwards in a cutting stroke. This forward component can be arranged to be substantially equal to the distance moved forwardly by the tobacco stream during the time the knife edge is passing through it, and this arrangement therefore helps to enable a square cut to be made.

The knife 108 is clamped on a swinging arm 109 which is pivoted at 110 and has fixed thereto a post 111 to which is fastened a spring 112 whose other end is fixed to any suitable fixed part of the machine. The arm 109 also has fixed to it a cam-following projection 113 which engages the edge of a cam 114 arranged for rotation with a shaft 115. The cam, which rotates in the direction shown by the arrow, Figure 4, lifts the projection 113 and arm 109, and permits them to fall, at the desired time intervals, the arm being urged by the spring 112 in a direction such as to move the knife 108 downwardly in a cutting stroke. Thus the knife executes a cutting stroke once for each revolution of the cam. The shaft 115 on which the cam is mounted corresponds to the shaft on which the knife 10, in the construction shown in Fig ure 1, is mounted.

The apparatus shown in Figure l to the left of the bridge 11 is also provided in the construction, illustrated in Figure 3, and operates in the same way.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, comprising an enclosed passage and means to feed lengthwise into and through said passage a continuous tobacco stream, a conveyor to receive the tobacco stream as it issues from the outlet of the passage, and arranged to move at substantially the same speed as that at which the tobacco leaves the passage, cutting means operable in the region of said outlet to sever the stream at intervals to cut a leading length therefrom and operable after each cutting operation to block the outlet so as to hold up the stream while the cut length moves away from the outlet a suflicient distance to form a space for a stub, and means to insert stubs into the spaces so formed.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said passage comprises slippery interior surfaces such as to keep friction between the tobacco and said interior surfaces low, and arranged to confine the tobacco on all sides along a part at least of the length of the passage, one of said slippery surfaces being arranged to move in the direction of feed of the tobacco.

3. In apparatus for making mouthpiece cigarettes, means to form a continuous composite filler of tobacco portions and stubs in alternation, comprising a slippery passageway, means to feed lengthwise into and through said passageway a continuous loose tobacco stream, a conveyor to receive tobacco issuing from the outlet of said passageway, and arranged to move at substantially the same speed as that at which the stream leaves the passageway, cutting means operable in the region of said outlet to sever the stream at intervals to cut a leading length therefrom, means operable after each cutting operation to block the outlet so as to hold up the stream and confine it wholly within said passageway while the cut length moves away from the outlet to form a space for a stub, and means to insert stubs into the spaces so formed, wherein the said passageway is at least as long as the said length to be cut from the stream, and whereby tobacco within the passageway while the outlet is blocked has its speed reduced and is thereby caused to close up and condense endwise within the passageway.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said passageway comprises a stationary surface to support the tobacco, stationary side walls, and a top wall comprising a movable tobacco-engaging surface adapted to move forwardly faster than the speed at which the tobacco enters the passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,093,051 May Sept. 14, 1937 2,646,048 Molins July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 414,087 Great Britain July 27, 1934 669,562 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1952 670,422 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1952 

